According to a post by The Sunday Times (18 September) Transnet, the country’s largest freight chain, has signed an agreement with RailRunner SA to allow privately-owned road trucks to opt to run on it’s rail network instead.

This will come as a major relief for most motorists, alleviating congestion on the roads and potentially reducing the amount of truck to car accidents.

Transnet to Introduce ‘Bi-Modal’ Test Run

This service, however, will first need to be tested with truck trailers hauled on rail bogies on the Cape Corridor early 2017.

A rail bogie is an essential part of the train car as it bears the load, transmits any traction and braking forces, and makes sure the car is steered in a safe manner. It also smooths out any track faults or irregularities.

“This means the containers do not need to be lifted off the truck onto the railway flat cars. Instead, the truck’s trailer is suspended on the rail bogies.”

The RailRunner system is a container trailer chassis with normal road wheels and a rail bogie for use on rail. A typical RailRunner train would consist of 40 truck trailers running on the bogies.

“RailRunner will do for Africa’s logistics what cellphones did for the continent’s communications,” said RailRunner SA CEO Mike Daniel.

Transnet will supply the locomotives and operate the trains and says a bimodal service will offer its customers “a complete logistics solution” that combines the strength of both road and rail transport.

The road truck will then move the trailer over the “last mile” to its final destination.

H. Podbielski

Wonderful, cannot wait to see all trucks off the road and much less carnage. Irresponsible truck drivers will be looking for other employment. They have ruled the road for long enough !!!